Crossing the Rubicon
by Dresner1817
Summary: Sequel to Dawn- Trapped in a strange parallel world, Karl and Ben Ravencroft travel across the vast land in search of a portal that will take them home. While the Hex girls search for Luna as she searches for the mysterious woman who saved them from the Amsel Manor… Will Ben and Karl return home? Will the girls find Luna? Or will another nightmare become reality?
1. Prologue: Journey

_**I have returned with another tale with your favorite protagonist, for all that I know, Karl Dael. This will be another great project for me and I hope that you all will enjoy it.**_

_**Disclamer- I own nothing but Karl and my interpretation of Ben Ravencroft and the Hex girls.**_

_**With Love ~Dresner **_

* * *

"Thank you for your hospitality..." Ben Ravencroft said, bowing to a kind woman as he and Karl exited her farm house. "No No No! Thank you for coming by Ben, it's been far to long since you have visited us!" The woman interjected with a thankfully tone as her two small children crowded around her. A light breeze blew past Ben and the young ones took under their mothers thick rabbets fur coat to shield themselves from the icy wind. Ben smiled as the little boy and girl hid under their mothers coat, "We better get going before the snow begins again, Have a wonderful day Christiana."

"You as well, Thank you again Ben. Be careful... Please... Please be careful..." She pled, giving Ben a kiss on the cheek.

Karl looked over at Ben and Christiana with a melancholy gaze. The woman looked to be in her mid twenties or early thirties with short blonde hair and dark eyes that seemed to mirror his muse, Dusk. He could only sigh and walk back to the large Don horses that they acquired from a village of Cossacks just up the road from Christiana's farmstead. The Cossacks here in this strange world seemed to mirror that of the Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in his world. Even the world itself mirrored that of Europe and Russia completely with its large mountains leading to dense forests and finally the rolling plains and the steppe.

Heavy snow and the icy wind caused the two men to take quarter in Christiana's farm house for the night. They had hope that the endurance of the Dons would have gotten them into the next territory, but strain of the elements combined with the blinding snow made them think other wise. Luck was on their side as Ben knocked on the door and their she appeared in a frilly night gowned with her hair tied in a pony tail. It took awhile for her to let them in after she saw the new and improved Ben Ravencroft. After a while the two made found themselves sleeping in a warm home and dinning on a warm meal of pork goulash and red wine.

Soon the morning came and they needed to be on their way, But Ben could not help but give a warm goodbye to his love. Could Karl blame him for it?

"You kids behave for your mother, She's a kind hearted woman who gives everything she got to make sure you grow up right." Ben told her kids before they came out from under her robe and hugged him tightly

"We'll miss you Uncle Ben!" They exclaimed.

Ben chuckled as he returned the embrace, "I'll miss you as well." He said as he could feel the warmth of their love against his cold heart. Karl smiled as he could see Ben's ora become warmer and more inviting.

Ben stood up from the embrace for the children and threw on the fur lined hood of his black winters coat as the snow began to fall again. "We better get going, hopefully we can make it to the next Provence before the snow picks up." Ben told Christina as he kissed her hand. She blushed and waved his goodbye as he walked to Karl and the horses.

Karl and Ben mounted their horses with there bodies well rested and full stomachs as they rode down the snow covered dirt path toward the next province of this vast land that Ben referred to as 'Verusea'


	2. Chapter 1: Chasing Shadows

_**Alright everyone, CR (Crossing the Rubicon) will be shift between the story of Ben and Karl's travels along with show casing the story of Luna as she searches for answers about Claudia's past and how help Karl come home to the mortal world. **_

_**I figure that since Luna is usually given the short end of the stick, as they say, in both the show and in Fanfics I will give the Luna fans what they desire. Along with expanding on Thorn and Dusk a little. Please review or PM me for your input. **_

_**Enjoy :)**_

_**With Love ~Dresner **_

* * *

Dusk looked down the red clay road again with a wicked smile as the faint green glow of the Amsel manor could still be seen through the thick brush of the tree line. Her sister Luna was still weak from her possession by darkness that was Cyrus Amsel and held onto Dusk's back for the majority of the journey from the remains of that hellish manor. The smile soon changed to faint grin as she remembered the ghostly figure of her lover as he disappeared into twilight with a kind smile.

"Live to Forget, Muffy , Live to Forget." Claudia said to her. Claudia Marlin was a strange and secretive woman of about a youthful thirty or forty with looks that almost mirrored Thorn, but with worn and hard gaze that have seen their share of hell through out the years. She stood with a confident and aggressive stance of a fighter that Dusk silently respected and admired.

Who wouldn't? She saved Luna from the darkness and helped her and the gang find Karl after all.

Claudia wore a tattered flannel shirt with blood stained and ripped blue jeans, all damaged because of the journey toward the manor and the battle with in its hellish walls against the darkness. Her raven black hair was still perfectly flat and her pale face was spotless when compared to the rest of her body. With thorn drooped over her shoulders, Dusk could see the resemblance between Claudia and Sally more clearly and was surprised when she finally put two and two together.

Claudia saw the surprised look on the face of the drummer and quickly grabbed her by the arm, "Say nothing to anyone about this or my identity or else the fires of hell itself will insure your silence, Understand?" She hissed. Dusk jerked herself free from Claudia's grip, enraged that she of all people would dare touch her in anger. "What that your Thorn's..."

Claudia's other hand gripped her face tightly and soon Dusk blacked out. Claudia caught the drummer before she hit the ground and carried the Hex girls to their tour bus where she was greeted by a sleeping James with his truckers cap coving his eyes.

"Pathetic." She said as she glanced over at the driver.

Besides the snoozing driver, Claudia was rather impressed of the life her daughter and her newly adopted sisters had made for themselves. Touring state to state, coast to coast, and even across the world preforming to crowds of thousands of fans every night and day. They were know worldwide by millions and their fame was nearly that of the rock gods Ozzy, Hendrix, or even that of KISS. Yet they still retained their respectability and love for one another and even their sisterhood. Walking through the tour bus was like touring the home of Vincent Van Ghoul, whom she knew personally, with the gothic decor but with a Wiccan and pagan flare that set it apart from the Van Ghoul manor home.

Claudia smiled to see that the apple had not fallen far from the tree, as they say. Taking the girls back to their beds she tucked them in kindly and kissed them each on the forehead like a loving mother to her children. Before she could leave them, she whispered into the ears of Thorn and Dusk.

"He'll return Muffy, He will. Live for him and live for each other. Enjoy your life... Always remember why you fell in love with him and why he fell in love with you." She whispered to Dusk as she slept soundly in the warmth of Karl's leather jacket rapped tightly around her.

"Sally... I'm sorry... I'm so so so sorry..." Claudia began to sob as the shame of abandoning her daughter came to the surface. "I love you more than anything and I wish I could have been their for you... I wish I could have saved you from the hell of that asylum... Remember that I will always be with you..." Wiping the tears from her eyes, Claudia covered her daughter with a red blanket and kissed her on the forehead before leaving them.

"She's just like me in every way." Claudia sighed as she picked up a picture of Thorn with her sisters as they posed with the Mayor of Oakhaven, Willard Mcknight, The gang, and Karl on the night of the autumn fest.

"No... I can't get attached... They'll find them, just like he did long ago." She said to herself harshly as she placed the picture down on the table before shutting the door behind her. She came across another photo with only Thorn present and took it for a more current version of her beautiful daughter to replace the old photo of her and a five year old Thorn dressed in red. Folding the photo carefully into her pocket, she placed the old photo in the frame to replace the one she took.

"Maybe this will help you remember..." She said before walking out of bus and into the shadows of before the approaching Dawn.

Luna watched from the window of the bus as Claudia walked mysteriously into the shadows. She felt something was miss from her, like something was stolen from her mind and soul. Luna became depressed and sallow as she could feel the emptiness inside of her. Stripped was the only word she could use to described her state of mind, body, and soul. Luna was angry and jumped to her feet to pursue Claudia, but soon found herself clinging on to whatever should to keep herself up. "Damn it!" She cursed as the head rush caused her to lose her balance and knocked down a few of her own trinkets from their world tour. Catching herself, Luna ran out of the tour bus and into the shadows after the Gipsy woman.

For over an hour Luna searched the forest for Claudia and turned up empty handed. Disappointed with herself, she began to wonder back to her tour bus downtrodden and defeated. Burning with anger, Luna threw spiteful punch at a near by tree and screamed bloody murder at the pain in her hands and wrists from the blows.

"Why!? Why can't I remember anything! That bitch did this to me!" She wailed as she gripped her hands in pain. Luna threw herself to her knees and threw her fists against the soft ground in a tantrum screaming louder and louder until finally her voice began to crack and cough.

"You don't remember because you were not in control." Claudia said as she stepped out of the shadows as the first signs of light began to pierce through the brush. "Here take this," Claudia threw her a bottle of cold water. "With all of that scream you could have damaged your vocal cords. I'm surprised that your role as the opening act for Amsel's opening didn't damage them first. At least we both know that you haven't lost your ability to speak." She said as she pulled another bottle of spring water for herself.

"Wait... What are you talking about? What opening act?" Luna asked Claudia as she sat next to her on the ground. Claudia gave a sigh and shook her head from side to side, "Darling, you were used by Cyrus Amsel for his own purpose. That purpose being the opening of the gate to the spirt world. Luckily you had yours truly here to save you from him." Claudia told her as she finished her water. Luna placed her water at her side and closed her eyes in hope of recovering some of her distorted memories from last night, but to no avail. "I don't remember anything... I... I only remember walking into the house and everything goes blank." Luna said regretfully. "That was the dark hand of Cyrus Amsel honey, but their is no need to fret. Cyrus is long gone... Thanks to your rival if I'm not mistaken."

"Karl..." Luna whispered. "Is he all right? I didn't see him when I woke up... Is he..."

"Dead? No, my dear, he is alive and well. Thank the gods he is." Claudia interjected.

"He... He is?" A faint sigh of relief released Luna's tension. "Yes, my dear, He's still alive. Coming home though is a different story." Claudia told her as she took to her feet. "When your song was interrupted it led to the portal becoming a one way journey to The Summerland. Wether or not makes it home is questionable..." Claudia broke off at mid sentence and began to walk slowly away from Luna.

"Claudia!" Luna shouted to her. "How do you know all of this?"

Claudia didn't respond and continued on as the sunlight broke through the Clear skies above.


	3. Chapter 2: Wilkommen

_**Before I go any deeper into Crossing the Rubicon, I will explain what will happen in between chapters. Every other chapter will switch between Karl and Ben Ravencrofts Travels in the world of Verusea and between the Hex Girls in the mortal world. **_

_**The crisis with in the Hex Girls will be explained in the next chapter, But if you have **_**_anticipated what I plan with Luna… Then your a little ahead than others XD _**

**_Disclamer- I own nothing and the names of the countries are, yes, from the ACE COMBAT series of games set in the world of Strangeworld. I love that series. But regardless I own nothing but Karl._**

**_With Love ~Dresner _**

* * *

"So tell me Ben, Where in hell are we?" Karl asked him with some tact in his voice as he tighten the reins on his black Don horse as they rode down the dirt snow cover path through a wooden mountain that mirrored the Black forest of southern Germany with its large pine and fir trees along with a few spars Douglas fir and Norway spruce mixed with in the tree line. The beauty of the snow cover trees and the large snow cover hills dotted with pine trees gave way to strong mountains that dominated the clear sky line above them. The Dawn light broke over the mountains and the warmth of the morning sun put a smile on the black coated figures of Karl Dael and Ben Ravencroft as they road on their large black Russian Dons.

"Hmmm I believe we are near the village of Ruckendorf." Ben replied. Ben looked up toward the mountains and pointed toward a large, more alpine, mountain in the distance. " has the highest summit in the Bujanov Provence... That mean we are... This is grand! We made it to Bujanov!"

Karl was puzzled, He has traveled land like this before his move to New York State and this mountain range mirrored that of Germany almost the letter. But the names were distinctly Slavic and Germanic, which he could not understand why the two were together.

"That still doesn't tell me where we are!" Karl replied, "What country are we in? Further more what is Verusea? Where is it on the map?" Ben shook his head as he removed the fur lined hood of his black trench coat.

The renown writer of the mortal world did not exist anymore. The Ben Ravencroft of the mortal world vanished along with his obsession of power. The Ben Ravencroft that was banished into the darkness of Sarah Ravencroft's accursed spell book died along with the her. Evil was replaced by a man who was unsure of his role in life, unsure of himself. Defeating Sarah and ridding her evil conclusively managed to satisfy his need, his lust, for power and dominance.

The high he received from humiliating her, hunting her down like a timber wolf after its prey, and finishing her off, still burned with in his black heart until simmering upon the balcony of his castle in the realm of the Black sun. At his hands he ended the lives of only two souls, Sarah Ravencroft and Cyrus Amsel. Both of his own blood line, his own kin.

'Their deaths were justified.' He would tell himself at night. 'They were justified.'

The hundreds, maybe thousands, of deaths caused by the two of them alone were unjustifiable by any standard. Ben took half hearted pride in the fact that it was he who ended the lives of two of the most powerful entities in the all the black sun dimension's history with their own power, but to end the lives of his own stock still took a tole on him.

When the Triple goddess commanded Karl to his castle to send him and cyrus back to the very pit of hell from wince they came, Ravencroft had two options.

Either end the evil or let the evil end him...

Killing Cyrus was easy... Giving a proposition to a determined foe would be a challenge. But Ben was surprised to find that He and Karl were not so different from one another and surprised to find that he was a fan of his literary work as well! The two figures of light and darkness were united by one common cause, Returning home. With one word the two men set off into the vast unknown without a single hint of hesitation, Comrades. The word itself means almost nothing with in the confounds of western countries such as America, but on the bloody battlefields of Eastern Europe the word was used to described the brotherhood amongst the soldiers that fought and died in the name of their cause. Ben and Karl's cause was to return home, to return to their loved ones.

For Karl that meant returning to Dusk, But Ben was unsure of what he would return to...

"Hold on Karl." Ben told him as held up his hand for silence. "Listen... Do you hear that?"

Karl listened for a moment and soon he could hear the sounds of cheering, something that he hasn't heard in ages. "Cheering... He-he, when was the last time you heard such a beautiful sound before Ravencroft?" Karl asked him with a grin as the two brought their horses to a stop. The black coated Karl looked at Ben with the wild eye of an adventurer and began to adjust himself on the Cossack saddle for a long dash down the snow covered path.

Karl wore a black trench coat with a black cap over his short brown hair that mirrored that of the German M43 field cap worn by Panzer Commanders with white piping and sliver buttons that held the winter flaps to the bloody and tattered black fleece jacket along with his ripped blue jeans were still on him and wreaked of death from the fight in the manor. They were worthless in this cold, but at least the officers jackboots managed to keep his feet warm in this weather. The saddle itself and the body heat of the horse kept his thighs warm with the fur and leathered lined seat of the saddle and the warm hair of the horse.

Ben laughed, "It has been a while since I've heard anything besides the wind and terror filled screams. It's almost foreign to hear anything else."

Ben wore a black fur lined trench coat with a hood to keep his head and neck warm from the freezing tempters of Verusea's fierce northern winters. The black suit made out of silk and flesh was traded in for a more conferrable, and less terrifying, black turtle neck sweater with a black tunic coving it. Matching black trousers lined with wool tucked into a pair of riding jackboots completed the all black outfit. His long black hair was tied into his classic pony tail as was his beard which was tied inViking form with two separate tails for his beard.

"Race you there!" Karl shouted childishly as he bolted off down the road as a cheerful Ben gave chase on his Don. The cold air burned their faces as they charged around the twists and turns of the snowy road until they reached the rather large village of Ruckendorf.

The village itself was distantly German in appearance and feel as the renaissance seemed coexist perfectly with the gothic and Romanesque architecture as the simple medieval half timber homes and market places complemented the elegant and complex beauty of the gothic church in the center of town. A wooden sigh read 'Ruckendorf' written in gothic lettering stood on the side of the road as it shifted from dirt to asphalt. The cheering became louder and louder as they entered the town to see groups of cheerful school children running through the town with flowers in their hands. Three of the children turned around as the clicking of the Don's hooves against the asphalt Straße (Street). The children wore clothing similar to that of children in the 1920's in America, but one of the boys wore a black uniform with a brown shirt and black tie with a hat that was similar to what Karl wore. The boy's hat was marked with a red shield with a black raven in its center. He was around the age of sixteen or seventeen, but acted as if he was Karl's age with brown hair and green eyes.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" The children shouted to Karl and Ben as they began giving them flowers and cheering for them. The Boy in the uniform gave a salute to Karl, "Thank you for your service to our great country, Herr officer!" The boy said as he gathered the other two kids, a younger lad and a brunette girl, and walked the two kids toward the town square where the cheering grew louder and louder.

Karl and Ben followed the uniformed teenager down the street where a large crowd of villagers were gathered near the town square. In their hands were little red, black, and gold flags sealed with a black raven like that of the boy's cap and shield. They drew closer to the crowd they began to see the cheer smiles of more people on the other side of the square as they threw flowers toward a group of soldiers wielding the grandfather of all assault rifles, The STG-44.

The troops walked in the formation of a squad with their rifles on their backs and waved at the crowds of people. They were clad in field grey with mixed assortments of camouflage ranging from the German pea and leibermuster patterns to the Russian leaf and brown ameba patterns. Their motley appearance became more apparent as more troops appeared behind them riding on a hotchpotch of German Panther, King tiger, Russian T-34, and IS-2 Tanks, All of which were painted in equally mismatched way.

All the Tanks, APC's, Half tracks, Trucks, and other vehicles all wore the same Shield and Raven as the as the flags in the hands of the towns people. As the crowed Panther tanks came closer, Karl could see the confident and harden faces of the Soldiers. Some of which were women and young boys that were mixed in with the young and middle aged soldiers. This army looked as if it was running on its last leg, but the confidence in the eyes of the men, women, and young boys said other wise.

"They look like Germans." Karl remarked as the Stahlhelm clad troopers rode on top of a passing Tiger tank. "Are those Russians behind them?"

"Close, but not quite." Ben said as an IS-2 came behind the Tiger tank. "Those are the troops of the Estovakian military, the Landwehr." Karl was confused beyond all belief. "What in the hell is Estovakia and why does it have a German name?" Karl questioned Ben as more troops marched down the street with flowers falling from the tops of buildings. Ben gave a chuckle and dismounted from his horse.

"Estovakia is a Federation of The Germanic nation of Belka and the Slavic republic of Volkhov." Someone spoke to them. Karl and Ben turned toward the voice and were met by a tall imposing figure clad in a grey leather trench coat that stopped at his shining Jackboots and a grey visor cap with a gold iron cross badge and a black raven above it. The man was at least Karl's age with a Go-T similar to his with an eye patch covering his left eye. Around his neck was an iron cross with an oak leaf cluster, four diamonds on each arm of the cross, golden ravens wings claps superimposed with two swords soldered to the bottom of the wings, and tied with a black and white ribbon.

"Willkommen auf Ruckendorf, Ben." The figure said in a thick German accent. "How have you been my old friend?" He asked as he extended his hand out to Ben.

"Erich Zorin," Ben said as he shook the hand of the grey coated figure. "My Belkan friend, great to see you again. How is Sandra? Is she doing all right? How about the Children?" Erich laughed, "Sandra is wonderful as are the kinder. Sandra leads a the local troop of L.E.G (League of Estovakian Girls) and luckly for the children, The school system still holds the high standard for education that Belka was renown for before the Waldreich conference of 1919." He explained as he looked with large white toothed smiled as a familiar melody began to play in background.

The song was Russian, Karl could tell by dramatic use of horns and over all feel. Karl could only understand a little of the song, but in his heart he could feel its meaning.

"Katyusha..." He said as Ben and Erich began to sing Katyusha in English.

"Apple trees and pear trees went into blooming,  
River mists began a floating flow,  
She came out and went ashore, Katyusha!  
On the lofty bank, on the steeply shore.

She came out and sang she song about  
Her young friend, the bluish eagle from steppe  
All about the one she dearly loved,  
The one whose letters she treasured and kept.

Hey, a song, the song of the young girl,  
Fly and go after the bright Sun,  
Find a soldier on the distant borderlands  
Say hello from Katya waiting long for him.

Let him remember the young and simple maiden,  
Let him hear the song she now sings,  
Let him protect his Motherland for sure,  
And their love Katyusha will protect."

Villagers, children, Soldiers, Tank riders, and even the trio of coat and bearded figures of Ben, Karl, and Erich sang together. Karl looked on the smiling and cheerful crowd, The cocky and battle harden troops, and even the small children. "I've never seen such pride before..." Said the Journeyman as he sat a top of his black steed.

"You haven't seen the 30th of January celebration or Constitution day." Erich said to him as the last cluster of troops drove by in a Green Hanomag halftrack splotched with white wash like a Dalmatian.

"Now come on, Let me buy you gentleman a drink. The Raven's Den always serves it's soldiers free of charge."


	4. Chapter 3: Rabbit

_**Its been a couple of days since I updated and their is a reason why. My Internet is bad again so right now I find myself in a Starbucks posting this. Great coffee, but expensive! **_

_**So Riley Chapter 3 here will some what answer your question, Remember we are still early in CR so all will be reviled in time. Please review :)**_

_**With Love ~Dresner**_

* * *

Four months have past since Karl threw himself into the portal with Amsel. The Hex girls continued the rest of their tour across America like nothing had happened, But still waters run deep. The swamp changed them and the fans themselves could almost see it in their eyes and hear it in their voices. The canceled show in Baton Rouge gave way to a make up concert in New Orleans showed a new side of the Hex girls as their new song "It's a mystery" made its debut. The fans remarked after the show to MTV corespondent, Kevin Lee, about the over all tone shift.

"Like, Thorn was all like. Different, you know?" One fan told them. "

"When she would sing she sing confidently and cheerfully, but when that new song came on it was like all three of them poured their souls, hearts, and dreams out on stage." Another remarked.

More and more interviews came to the same conclusion, The sound had changed and so have the Hex girls. After a long tour, coming home didn't sound to bad to the now internationally acclaimed rockstars. Even if it was to a little town like Oakhaven.

* * *

Dusk laid on her bed twirling her now large, blooming, ponytails and humming the melody to We do Voodoo with a sleepy little smile on her face as her sister, Luna, took the bathroom for her own. Outside in the shed was her other sister, Thorn, doing her usual ritual with peppermint and cloves to sooth her vocal cords. Fritz, The girls ghost white German Shepard, jumped on her bed and laid his head down on her stomach.

Dusk giggled and began to pet her loving white hound, "I've missed you." She said to Fritz as he tried to lick her hand with his long pink tongue. Fritz was six months old in dog years, but his size suggested other wise. His tail was curled into a question mark like a Keeshond and appeared to be smiling when he would pant.

"I bet Karl would've loved to meet you, baby dog." She said with a giggle as Fritz licked her face. Dusk looked outside at the beauty of a New England summer with lush greenery and endless blue skies.

"Hmmm, How about a walk boy?" She said, sitting up from the bed as Fritz poked his ears into the air and barked with glee. Throwing her legs over the bed and threw on her boots quickly, but found her eyes drawn to her night stand. On the nightstand a picture of her and Karl the night they met.

Dusk smiles when she sees the picture, "I'll be waiting Klokateer." She said with a smile as she and Fritz walked of the room and down the stairs.

* * *

Luna cracked the bathroom door and peered around the corner. She listened as Dusk's boots and Fritz claws click-clacked against the wooden floors of their Victorian home.

"Finally." She sighed as she stepped out into the room and looked into the mirror near the wall. Luna had spend almost half of the day trying out a new hair styles to change up her appearance. Luna managed agree with herself that a modified version of her original hairstyle would suffice, but lowered around her face predominately covering her left side. The look of her hair resembled that of a weeping willow, match her now quiet and melancholy demeanor.

Flipping her hair and trying out a couple of poses with her new hair style, Luna finally gave a warm laugh, something that she hasn't been able to do in months, and a smile. The Amsel affair, as called it, took a tole on her spiritually. A tole that robbed her of her remaining innocents...

Luna was always the 'Light in the Black,' a Beacon of hope and the glue that seemed to hold the band together. Always calm and sweet to everyone in her own way, unless you touched her keyboard of course. Walking into that swamp though... Going into that manor, into that hall of darkness, corrupted her. Luna was never selfish or self serving in anyway and always loyal to her sisters and the band. Even in front of mystery Inc. or Karl, of all people, she still remained the calm and caring person that she was.

But the swamp drew out the negative energy out of her and broke the surface of her warm appearance. It seemed to start with a simple thought and then everything became blurry. She remembers nothing besides the time they got to the manor and waking up at the tour bus in a daze. From what Claudia told her in the Forrest, She 'wasn't in control.'

Her face turned grim as she remembered sitting beside Claudia as she told of her possession by Amsel. A sharp pain broke through her train of thought as bits and pieces of a nightmare rushed past her eyes. Visions of pain, Visions of betrayal, Visions of hate raced threw her memory in waves, yet nothing made any sense to her. The events of the nightmare were vague, while some were foreign and frightening.

Luna openned her eyes and found herself gasping for dear life as the adrenaline and fear raced threw her body. She found herself laying on the ground with her face pressed firmly against the carpet of room her and her sister shared since they first came to live with Mr. Willard McKnight over a decade ago. Luna threw her gloved hands over her heart and panted heavily as she tried desperately to recall the visions, but to no avail.

"Kimberly are you all right?" Mr. Mcknight said urgently as ran down the hallway from his room and looked threw the doorway to see Luna laying on the floor gasping in fear. "Kimberly?" Mr. McKnight asked her as he came to her aid.

Willard Mcknight was an older gentleman in his late forties or even his mid fifties with grey timber wolf colored hair clad in a doctors coat. Mr. McKnight made his dollar as the town pharmacist and selling T-shirts for extra cash to capitalize on the tourism that Oakhaven received for being the home of the Hex Girls and a monstrous turkey, made by the 'loving' hands of Sarah Ravencroft. Willard was an honest man with kind and loving heart that seemed to have an endless amount of good stowed with in his old, but strong, frame. Mr. Mcknight had one daughter, Sally 'Thorn' Mcknight, but adopted Luna and Dusk because of the status of their parents. Even though they were not of his own stock, he loved every one of them like they were his blood daughters.

"Yeah Dad, just a little... Ahhugh! Migraine." Luna shrugged as another spike hit her again. Luna and Thorn were the only ones to call Dad, but Dusk was coming around to it. With Karl she was opening up more and more as time went on, now with Karl out of the picture she still retained that openness but with a lighter tone of meanness for safety.

"Honey, that fall of yours wasn't because of a headache and I know it. Whats going on with you Kimberly? Are you feeling all right?" He asked as he picked Luna off the carpet and set her down on Dusk's bed. Luna gave a sad sigh and brushed her hair away from her eyes. "I'm just... Just a little depressed Dad, Its about the whole losing Karl thing and all the other weird stuff." Luna said as she tried to cover up the episode on the floor like it was nothing. "Kim, I'm not the one to believe in all the witchcraft and hocus pocus stuff, but after the whole ordeal with Sarah and Ben I'm willing to believe anything honestly." Mr. Mcknight explained.

"Dad, the thing is I barley know anything about what happen! Same deal with Thorn and Dusk." Luna explained. "Claudia told me the rest of..."

"Marlin? Claudia Marlin?" McKnight interjected.

Luna nodded, "Yeah... How did you know her last name?" Luna questioned her surrogate father. Willard's face grew pale and his eyes began to scan left to right nervously.

"She... She and..." Willard stuttered as eyes of his surrogate daughter waited for answer. "Nothing, Its... Nothing." Willard shook it of and began to walk to the door with a look of shame on his face. With one last smile he turned to Luna who sat on the green comforter of Dusk's bed with a confused look.

"Your hair looks beautiful Kimberly, It really brings out your eyes." He told her. "I have to go see the mayor after work today, so I'll be late tonight. You girls are in charge now and you know what that means?"

"Want me to keep Dusk and Sally from killing each other?" Luna asked with a warm smile.

Willard chuckled, "Indeed, Be good dear."

The sound of loafers against the wooden stairs signaled he was going to speak with the mayor first. 'Who in their right mind would wear those things any where else?' Luna thought to herself as the squeaking of the leather loafers made her gag. The front door slammed shut and again Luna found herself without an answer to her question. Another question came to mind as well, Who was Claudia Marlin and how did Willard know about her?

Luna put on her purple boots and walked down the stairs to the kitchen where she made herself a cup of coffee, the same brand of caribou blend that Karl and Dusk would have killed her over if they were here.

Enjoying the coffee brought nostalgic memories of their cross country tour when Karl was still among them. The aroma of the Caribou day blend would fill the bus when Karl and Dusk finally woke up from their slumber. They would cuddle up against one another and share a cup while Thorn would give James a good morning kiss on the cheek. She remembers fond memories of when it was just her and Karl one on one. He was kind to her, but never missed a single moment to poke fun at her. Nor did she ever miss a moment to return the favor.

The sound of an open window caught her attention to living room, "Ugh, Who left the window open?" She asked herself out loud as she put down the coffee mug and waltz over to the living room. She looked around the large living room and preceded to close one of the large windows that stood beside fireplace.

Closing the window, Luna turned around and saw an envelope laying on the coffee table. She openned it and pulled out a hand written letter.

* * *

Dear Kimberly "Luna" Moss,

I see you girls have recovered rather quickly since the Amsel incident with the exception of yourself. Your memories of your role in the incident will not be recover so easily as the power of Madam Marlin is far greater than anything Ravencroft, Dael, your sisters, or yourself could possibly comprehend. If you wish to shed your ignorance on the situation, search the records of Oakhaven High School. There is where you will start your journey, Kimberly. If you wish to stay a rabbit for the rest of your life, then burn this letter with his lighter and forget everything that your have seen and read today.

With Love, Whitetail.

PS. This is your struggle, Luna, Keep your sisters in the Dark about this. It's your turn Rabbit.

* * *

Luna stared at the letter with wide eyes as she contemplated her options. Would she embark on a quest for answers or would she give up?


	5. Chapter 4: Krieg

_**Sorry for a long wait, Had a few things come up lately and my time has been a little short **_**_lately. _**

**_Enjoy a Karl and Ben Chapter, Because the next couple of chapters will be of Luna :)_**

**_With Love ~Dresner_**

* * *

The Ravens Den was a small local tavern where the off duty soldiers of the Estovakian army came to hand its hats and lay down their rifles for a cold beer or two before their redeployment to only god knows where. Karl and Ben followed Erich into the tavern where the smell of hops and barley filled their noses with delight, or at least filled Karl's with delight.

"Willkommen to the Ravens Den brave soldiers of the Fatherland!" A young hostess greatest them warmly as she gave Erich Zorin as firm salute and a kiss on the cheek. "Brave men like you deserve a drink on the house. Come sit in my section." She said softly as she lead the trio to a booth near a window.

"Danke schon." Karl said to the brunette host. "Bitte schon, what would you brave Landser like to drink this fine day?" She asked the trio as they took their seats. Erich sat his officers cap on the table and removed his leather coat to reveal a field grey uniform clad with a German infantry assault badge, Iron cross second class, close combat claps in gold, and ribbon bar marked with countless other awards that Karl couldn't identify. His collar patches were two oak leaves and his shoulders were dawned with two shoulder straps of a Major General of the Wehrmacht.

Erich turned to the hostess and ordered beers for the three of them. Karl noticed three patches on the sleeve of Erich's right arm. Each patch was a white strip with a tank in its center, Tank destroy badges, award for killing an enemy panzer single handedly, a feat of extreme bravery in its own but to have three of them is amazing!

"Three glasses of your finest brew for my comrades and I." Erich responded as he pulled a bill that resembled a Russian ruble with the number fifty marked on it. The girl was surprised and rushed quickly to retrieve three beer steins as she stuffed the bill into her apron.

"Ben," Erich addressed Ravencroft. "Who is your friend?" He asked pointing over to Karl. "Karl Dael, Pleasure to meet you Herr Zorin." Karl said, introducing himself to Zorin with a handshake. "Ahh I see, you speak my native tongue eh?" Erich said with an impressed look on his face.

"Jawohl." Karl said.

Erich smirked, "Ben where did you pick this man up? He sounds a Emmerian, but speaks Belkan like he is from the capital."

The hostess returned with three beer steins in her hands and placed them on the table before retreating to the front door to great more off duty soldiers. Ben took a drink of his beer before answering Erich's question. "He is neither because he comes from my world." Ben answered. "I speak your language because in our world there is a nation called Germany that mirrors your nation in language and, for all that I know, Its culture." Karl responded. "My family is primarily Swedish and German on my father side, but my mothers side is mostly English and Irish. I'm fluent in Deutsch, but only able to speak a hand full of Russian or should I say Volkhovian?"

Erich gave Karl a large grin, "Now we have something to drink to. Welcome home to the fatherland, Karl." Erich said as he rose his beer stein in a toast. "To what brings your to our Federation?" He asked after finishing his drink.

"The way home..." Karl said coldly. Erich looked at Karl and then at Ben with a raised brow. "The gate, Erich. The gate to the world of the age of Aquarius." Ben told him. Erich became serious and folded his hands together. "Ben, Their is a problem." Erich said grimly. "The gate to Aquarius is..."

The door flung open and three men dressed in black uniforms appeared. "Generalmajor Zorin!" The lead man said as he stopped at the table, clicking his heels firmly as he gave a smart salute to Erich. Clad in a black uniform that mirrored that of German Panzerwaffe, Tank corps, with the smiling Calvary skulls of the black hussars, and a black side cap. But their collars bore the Orthodox Christian cross."Mein Herr their is..."

"Axel Kreiger, My name is Erich Zorin. Not mein herr, we are neither Landwehr or Volkhovian Guard. Such formalist manor is not necessary considering that we grew up together." Erich spoke as he took to his feet, Adjusting his field grey tunic and placing his hands behind his back.

"Jawohl Erich," The brown haired and clean shaven Axel said as he recovered his thought in front of the tall Major general. "The Osean 19th Armored Corps obliterated the 17th motor rifle brigade and have pushed the 33rd Panzer Corps out of Sonthofen..."

Erich threw on his coat and took his cap in hand. "Finish your brew and throw on your coats!" He shouted to Karl and Ben. "Ready the staff car, to the frontline macht schnell!"

* * *

The Kubelwagen staff cars bounced on the bumpy dirt roads of rural Estovakia, toward the former border of Belka and Volkohov. Broken pieces of wall and barbwire fencing, along with the remains of pillboxes and chard tanks hulls, dotted the countryside and fields around them. Karl and Ben sat in the back of the lead Kubelwagen with Erich and Axel at the front. Clutching the ancient henry rifle in his hand, Karl watched as the countryside past by them at lighting speed. The snow fall ceased and only clear blue skies above them with the bright yellow sun in full view.

"Erich," Ben spoke up. "What is going on?"

"A break through near the strategic city of Sonthofen by Osean forces have lead to the collapse of the 17th Motor Rifle brigade and the remains of the battered and bruised 33rd Panzer Corps to retreat from the area." Erich explained. "Osean forces are pursuing the 33rd Panzer Corps on a stretch of highway known as Route 13 toward the village of Marlow. The 33rd Panzer Corp is to regroup with the Volkohovian 66th Guards and the Belkan 17th Panzer Grenadier divisions to hold off the Osean advance into our country. This isn't the first time Marlow has changed hands before, Remember the first Marlow Tank war Axel?"

"An invasion? Are you joking Erich? A war!?" Karl asked him.

"It's not the first, my friend." Erich told Karl as the sound of artillery began to sing in the distance.

"Belka and Volkohov were once bitter enemies, but after 1919 we found that we had more in common than the we had with the Oseanian war mongers and Emmerian profiteers who pit us against one another other. Estovakia was formed after the 1925 coup, bloodless thank god, and our federation was the main rival for Osean on the Veruseaian continent. Then the war came in 1939 with an Oseanian offensive against the port city Salihorsk in southern Volkhohov. It's been a give and take war ever since then, Now its 1944 and now its time to finished what they started all those years ago."

The look on Major General Zorin's face was that of burning vengeance doused with cold determination had burned an image into Karl's mind. Erich was in his element and the trio knew this as a large smile stretched across his face as they passed a group of Jagdtiger and Marder III Tank hunters as they began to take firing positions in pre-dug positions in the fields and near the village of Marlow.

Marlow was a small village of about five hundred people living in primitive housing, at best, with the only notable building being a large orthodox church at the town cent with golden domes shining in the sun light like a beacon of hope down on the tried and harden Estovakian troops sitting in fox holes and trenches below. Men, women, and children of Marlow aided their fighting men as they finished the construction of timber pill boxes, hobbled together walls made out of rubble and destroyed vehicles, coving anti tank guns with brush, and giving food to the troopers as they staffed their posts with rifles in hand.

The village was in ruins with some of the houses razed to the ground and craters from bombing made parts of the village look like the face of the moon. Even the village held the aroma of gun powder, burning petrol, and the metallic smell of blood as it linger around the air and into the noses of Ben and Karl as they car came to a halt at the front of the church.

"Willkommen zurück Generalmajor!" Four soldiers in the grey and camouflaged uniforms said as they saluted Erich as they walked into the spacious beauty of the orthodox church. The interior of the overwhelmed Karl with the beauty of its murals that covered the whole of the church's walls, Some of which were broken and cracked by massive shelling and air raids from the years. The roof above was the same with sun light breaking threw the cracks and shined on the golden crosses that sat on the untouched alter.

The rows of seating were stripped out to only two rows were some of the Estovakian troops sat and prayed with an orthodox priest blessing the men before they returned to their duties.

The whole of the church was turned into a temporary HQ with a radio set up near the back of the church and tables covered with plans surrounded with officers discussing a plan to stop the Osean Armored Corps, But soon they took to attention as Zorin entered the room.

"Tovarishch general-mayor Zorin," A female Volkhovian officer said with a stiff salute and a hand shake. "Major General Sasha Zadornov..." Erich said annoyed sigh, "Such a... Pleasure to meet your acquaintance again, are you here to watch REAL Soldiers fight?" Erich said arrogantly to the black eyed blond clad in a long grey coat with red shoulder taps with a single gold star of a Red army Major General and a pair of jackboots. Sasha in her late twenties with shoulders length blonde hair with piercing black eyes that remained Karl of Dusk in some way.

"You mean watch as my Guards save your tin soldiers from Oseanians?" She chuckled as Erich gave a snort and ignored the smirking blonde major general completely and walked toward the table.

"Report!" Erich called to the officers.

"The Oseanian 19th Armored Corps and lead elements of the elite 77th Parachute brigade have taken Sonthofen..." One reported before Erich interjected, "Yes I understand this! What is their strength?" He demanded.

"Thirty-thousand strong in total with a divisions worth tanks and self propelled, Including twenty-nine A34 Comet's and fourteen Black Prince heavy tanks. The remainder is a mismatch of Sherman and Cromwell's of various make and model. They have air support as well as heavy artillery..."

"What is our strength?" Erich asked them.

"A Kampfgruppe worths. Four hundred men, Four heavy MG-42's, couple of mortars, Three Marder III's, and two Jagdtigers." Another replied.

Erich sighed and threw his hands on the table to hold himself up as he reviewed the map. "What is the estimated time of arrival for the rest of the 66th and 17th divisions?"

"Five Hours..." Sasha said coldly.

Screaming shells and rockets sail above them as the sounds of artillery began to bombard the small village of Marlow. Karl looked out of the broken glass windows of the church to see men diving into defensive positions as the sounds of sporadic rifle and machine gun fire crackled in the lulls of the barrage. Dust from the battered and beaten church fell on the officers and the trio below. "Out! Out! Schell! Schell!" Erich yelled as the shelling ceased and the clanking of steel tracks, ear piercing crack of tank guns, and the barking of MG-34 machine guns took over the battlefield.

Karl looked all around him to see only destruction and chaos around him. Building obliterated and burned... Bodies of men ripped to pieces by shrapnel...

"Karl! Ben! Get out of the open!" Erich shouted as the main gun round of Oseanian tank hit the bell tower of the church, Causing the tower to fall from the heavens down to earth. Karl instantly jumped toward Ben and Erich, Throwing them out of the way of the falling bell tower.

Dust filled the air, but the sound of the falling bell tower was defined by the blast of the Jagdtiger's 128 mm main guns. Karl found himself on top of Ben and Erich as the shouting of Sasha caught his attention, "Get comrade Zorin out of here!" She shouted to the troops as Karl and Ben were thrown to their feet by Estovakian troops. The dust covered Karl looked around feverishly for his henry, but to no avail.

"Take my Broom-handle!" Erich shouted as the troops pulled him to his feet. Erich tossed Karl his pistol belt with a large leather holster, Inside was a pristine Mauser C-96 'Broom-handle' pistol. "Take it! Ahhugh!" Erich shouted as the sighs of a broken leg. The troops took him to the rear as Karl and Ben were pushed to the front by the Tokareva wielding Sasha as she rallied on the troops of the army as they fought on against the almost endless waves of lead from the Oseanian troops firing Italian submachine guns and American M1 Rifles as they moved forward.

Charging to the front, Ben took a battered and blood stained StG-44 from a fallen grenadier and began to fire wildly at the endless stream of olive and white uniformed Oseanians as they crossed the snow covered fields and ducking behind the burning hulks of destroyed tanks and half tracks. Karl looked on in awe around him as the battle raged on in front of him and Ben. He could see and feel the determination of the soldiers of Estovakia as they fought on against the fury of the Oseanian assault.

The Marder III's picked off lead armored units, while the Jagdtigers ripped mellon sized holes into the heavier Black Princess from well beyond their effective ranges. Black smoke and fires from the Black Prince's dotted the country side, as did the turrets from Jack-in-the-boxed Shermans from the quick firing Marder III's.

"Fight on for the glory of our Motherland! URA!" Sasha shouted to the troops as another wave of Oseanian's came to bolster the assault. Rockets from Tulip's, Sherman tanks mounted with 76mm rockets, soared into the skies above the battlefield and dived down on the large and cumbersome Jagdtiger's in their pre-made firing positions. The first Jagdtiger burned solar orange as a single rocket hit the engine deck and the fuel tank, causing the fuel tank to explode along with the ammunition. The second was lucky, somewhat, with a rocket striking the mantle and destroying the mighty Pak-44 cannon. The crews of the Marder's repositioned quickly one at a time, while the other two covered him, But one by one the situation became direr as one after another the Marder's were picked off by the experienced crewmen of the Oseanian armored corp... But the men and women of the Estovakian army never let up.

Never faltered...

Never yielded...

Never gave up...

The machine guns never fell silent, neither did the enemy...

Hours felt like days, but they never stopped fighting...

Karl and Ben fired at anything wearing the pale olive green of an Oseanian trooper. The Chaos of war surrounded them, yet the two men, The mortal and immortal, fought on.

The remaining Marder III continued firing from a destroyed farm house, taking three more Sherman tanks and disabling a Black Prince, but was silenced by the shrapnel of another rocket attack. Karl watched as the crewmen of the Marder were cut to pieces by the molten steel of the rocket and thrown to the ground below like rag dolls. The final shell left the muzzle of the Marder defiantly as another Sherman burst into flames in front of him.

Over the horizon came three more Sherman tanks lead by a Black Prince flying the blue and white flag of Osean on its radio antenna. The men of the ravaged battalion, This Kampfgruppe, was reduced down to only one hundred men. For Five hours they fought without a single sign of what remained of the 33rd Panzer Corps, nor that of the 66th and 17th Divisions...

"Ingett Hopp... No Hope." A solider said to him as the last of his ammunition ran dry. Karl looked at the man and what remained of the Marder III, "Take my mauser and keep fighting! Fight for Estovakia or nothing!" Karl shouted as he gave the trooper his pistol and belt. The trooper looked at him questionably, but turned back to killing the enemy. Some of the soldiers around him saw this and began to cheer in between the fight.

"Estovakia or nothing!" They shouted together.

"Ben! Come on! To the gun! We have panzers to crack!" Karl shouted as he took Ben by the shoulder and dragged him to his feet. Under heavy fire the two charged threw the trenches and toward the derelict Marder III as the men of the Landwehr gave out the battle cry once more, "Estovakia or Nothing! URA!" Machine gun fire chased Ben and Karl as they reached the Marder III's crew compartment, "Load it!" Karl called. "Are you sure you can use this thing?" Ben shouted.

"Yes," Karl yelled as he handed Ben a 75 mm AP shell. "Now load it!" Karl demanded as he openned the breech. Ben threw the shell into the gun and Karl took aim at the lead tank and fired. The Pak 40 fired flawlessly, but Karl's aim was off by a touch and smashed into the Sherman to the left of the command tank. The Sherman began to smoke and soon the crew abandoned their "Tommie Cooker".

"Load it! Load it!" Karl demanded as he adjusted the gun. "Roger!" Ben shouted as he loaded another round into the gun. The click of breech alerted Karl again and took aim near the front of the Black prince's center side in hopes of penetrating the ammunition rack in the floor. Another orange ball of light screamed out of the barrel and slammed into the other Sherman, knocking it out of action for good.

"Fuck! APCR damn it! Black tipped rounds to the right! Load it!" Karl yelled as he dialed in gun one more time... In the sight he could see the massive Black prince turn it turret toward him, but Karl didn't flinch...

The shell screamed out of the gun at breakneck speed and seemed to skate across the snow covered fields that surrounded Marlow. The PzG 40 Tungsten APCR round cut threw the gun mantle of the Black Prince like a plasma cutter, bouncing around inside of the crew compartment and striking the ammunition rack. The explosion ignited the fuel tanks as well and the turret shot into the air in a fire ball until crushing into the field below. Karl cheered as the Black prince burned in front of him. He looked over the shield and saw the Oseanian troops retreating before him. The thunder of aircraft engines caught his attention and he turned around just as a Focke-Wulf 190G fighter bomber flew over him. Soon more Fw-190's and Stuka dive bombers appeared and began attacking the retreating Oseanian's.

Men of the 66th and 17th relived the battered and tired Kampfgruppe and Ben and Karl could finally rest easy for the first time in hours. Karl and Ben sat together on the totaled Marder III to rest and gather their thoughts.

Karl couldn't speak and only leaned on the gun shield watching the Panther tanks of the 17th Panzer Grenadiers and the T-34-85's of the 66th Guards march forward along with troops in a counter attack against the XIX Corps.

"Karl," An exhausted, muddy, bloody, dusty, and snow covered Ben Ravencroft said. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah..." Karl said as stepped down from the Marder. "Just a little... Strange right now... Something has been awaken in me... I can feel it..." Karl said quietly as he looked down at his hands and all around him.

"Ben Ravencroft!" Sasha shouted to Ben. "Zorin has requested you to the medical tent. Don't keep him waiting." She told him. Karl gave Ben a solum nod and he soon followed Sasha across the village to the medical tent set up near a burned down farm house. Inside the tent were countless troops getting treatment from various doctors and nurses, including Erich who was bed ridden with a broken leg.

"Erich, How is your leg?" Ben asked him. "Broken, but not that broken." Erich replied. Ben and Erich looked at each other for a brief moment before Erich gave a reluctant sigh.

"Arkbird, He's in Arkbird. Bandit country in Osean Without him the gate is worthless."

* * *

_**OK! Here is a little guide to the Nations and who they represent.**_

_**Belka- Germany**_

_**Volkhov- Russia**_

_**Estovakia is a federation between the two nations.**_

_**Osean- France, Britain, and italy**_

_**Emmeria- America**_


	6. Chapter 5: Passage

_**It's been awhile, I know, since I updated and it is because I want to make this chapter good so I rewrote it a couple of times to make sure it was good. There are references to the stories ****Sanctuary by Hiddenwitch890 and Badlands Rock Concert by Grumpydrawer. Please check out their stories and review them, I know they will love to here from a reader :)**_

_******Along with this the Luna side of the story comes to surface, Enjoy.**_

_******With Love, ~Dresner**_

* * *

Luna's high heeled boots clicked the against the white tile floor as she enter of Oakhaven high school. The school itself was built during the 1970s and constantly renovated through its life to include a courtyard, sky lights, and even a working Wifi, A luxury that Luna hoped they would have had on their junior year before they began their first tour around the country and began online classes to get their Diplomas. The school itself was like every other with long, almost endless, hallways lit with buzzing Florissant lights and various, rather frivolous, motivational posters dotting the concert walls along with occasional blown up photos of the sports teams and a limited amount of academic clubs as well. Above her was a large banner forgotten by the facility that read, "Home of the Oakhaven Wild Hawks."

Luna shook her head as she read the sigh as the fond and the unpleasant memories of her and her sisters history here began to come back to her. They were the outcasts, the losers, The 'Broken Toys' as one drama student put it before Dusk cracked his jaw. She gave a small nostalgic grin as she remembered the day Dusk came back to school the next day and brought her and Thorn lunch, all while sneaking past the teachers and their little preppy teachers pets. Luna and the girls were not bullied as much people would believe, maybe by the popular preppy girls, or barbie dolls as she would call them. But other than the small cliche of barbie dolls, everyone either like them for their personalities or stayed the hell away in fear of Dusk cutting their throat out or beating them to a pulp. The girls never cared who hated them, all they cared for was that their band would become number one.

"Now Luna," The old gray haired janitor said. "Make sure you lock up after your little report here. I don't want Principal Covington on my tail about this school being unlocked again. Especially after what happened last year!"

"Dusk isn't going to hide smoke bombs in the bathrooms again, She's straighten out since she met Karl..." Luna stopped herself after she said his name and only nodded to the grey head janitor. "No problem Lance, I'll lock up for you... Thanks again." She told him. The old janitor nodded and walked out the door. The door slammed shut and echoed through the halls around her. She pulled the note from someone named whitetail and took a heavy breath as she looked over it once more. Was she making the right choice?

"I have to find out what happen to us..." Luna whispered to herself. "She knows... She knows everything."

Only the sound of her boots clicking against the tile could be herd through out the school as she made her way to the library, Their is where the records It had to be.

* * *

"Thank you Jack!" Dusk said cheerfully as she gave Fritz the ham bone jack gave them as they exited the Oakhaven restaurant. "Not a problem Dusk, send my regards to for me!" The husky jack said as Dusk and Fritz walked threw town once more. Some of the tourists stopped to pet fritz and only a handful stopped her for an autograph or a photo, which surprised her since she usually ate up the attention.

"Maybe it's the longer tails, eh boy?" Dusk asked Fritz as she twirled her long tee-zed up, green streaked, pony tails. Fritz laid down under the shade under a small tree near the Oakhaven flower shop. She leaned against the tree while fritz chewed on his bone. She took a deep breath to take in the warm New England summers air and looked around her at the tourists around her.

_**"Ich brauch Benzin! Benzin! Gib mir Benzin!"**_ Her phone screamed as Benzin by Rammstein played. Karl turned her on to Rammstein along with a few other bands when he was among the living.

"Hello?"

"Can't believe its grown this much in ten years, ya know?" A mans voice asked her.

"Yeah, it's a trip... Who's there?" She asked as she scanned around looking for the source of the voice. She never trusted the sound of a mans voice, besides Karl's and to some extent James.

"He-He, Good. It's good you forgot about me, yet you don't forget Karl. Your sister, Luna, hasn't forgotten either..." The voice said

"Who the fuck are you and how do you know about him or my sister?!" Dusk demanded.

"That will come in time, my dear. But, I have a gift for you from your beloved 'Klokateer', I believe that is how you say it. Go into the flower shop and tell the shopkeeper that your here for Karl. She will hand you a package, it something he has waited a long time to give you..." The voice became distorted and began to sound almost like Karl. Dusk didn't trust the caller, but her heart said other wise... The phone went silent and Dusk found herself confused and rather unnerved at the fact that who ever this was knew about her, her sisters, Karl, and where she was! Her father was the first suspect, but he was not among the living anymore, Thank the heavens.

"Stay here boy." She told fritz as she walked into the small flower shop. The smell of summer yellow aster, coral dahlia, white gaura, and other summer time flora filled the air around her. Dusk wasn't a fan of flowers or plants in general, unless you count the spring flowers on a Venus flytrap. The owner was an older woman of about fifty or sixty by the name of Barbara Edwards, she was one of the many who helped construct the now famous faux witches ghost, played by her surrogate father Willard Mcknight. She was a rather stout woman with thick lightish brown hair and a love for all things floral. Dusk never knew Barbara personally, but Luna and Thorn knew her. If they were not practicing songs, hanging out together, or on tour for that matter. Dusk would always find Luna here with Barbra fiddling with roses or helping her with flower arrangement of some kind. Barabra's flower shop is also where Thorn would pick up the peppermint and cloves for her soothing remedies along with the occasional red roses to brighten up her side of their room.

Barbra turned with surprise to see Dusk standing in the door way, "Dusk," Barbra said in a surprised tone. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing fine, Just taking Fritz for his afternoon walk." Dusk replied as she walked over to the counter where Barbra was pruning her prized crimson roses, a gift from Luna after their return from Romania. "He gets a little restless when he doesn't go out for a walk. Hey, Have you seen Luna or Thorn around town lately?" Dusk asked Barbra. "Hmmm, Thorn stopped by to pick up a rose for James about an hour ago." She mentioned, "Luna came by as well, but she didn't say where she was going though… She look troubled, like something was eating at her." Barbra's cheer voice became grave as she remembered seeing Luna in her store. "Her hair was beautiful though, it really brought out the good in her eyes. Have you seen it?" Barbra asked as she returned to her pruning.

"No, I haven't seen it. Do you know what direction she was going in?" Dusk replied. Barbra thought for a moment, "Now I remember!" Barbra's face became more animated as she pointed with her pruning shears down toward the direction of Oakhaven high school. "She was going toward the school to find the janitor, Lance is his name if I remember correctly."

"Thanks," Dusk said as she walked toward the door, but she stopped herself as she touched the door and turned back to Barbra who was back at work blissfully pruning.

"Mrs. Edwards?" Dusk asked nervously.

"Yes, my dear?" Barbra replied.

"I'm…" Dusk paused as she contemplated asking Barbra for whatever the man on the phone asked for her to do. 'Is that guy right?' She asked herself as Barbra waited for her to finish. Dusk took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as a wave of calm emotions settled her nerves.

"I'm here for Karl."

Barbra placed her sheers on the table and slowly walked to the back room with out a word spoke. She returned a couple of minutes later with a large box marked with a small shipping order with the words 'Hergestellt in Deutschland' (Manufactured in Germany) written on it. Barbra wiped the dust from the rather large package and pushed it over to her.

"Open it." She said bluntly. Dusk looked at her and the package questionably, "Whats in it?" She asked Barbara. "Open it and you'll find out." Dusk hesitated, but gave into her own curiosity and began to peal the packing tape from the package. Inside was a large black and white shoe box with Gothic plastered on the front in Gothic lettering.

"After the witches ghost fiasco last year, Karl came into my store with this box and requested that I order a specific species of Rose from the Valleranello Rose Garden in Rome. I told him that acquiring even one peddle from their exquisite collection would take an act of god." Barbra explained as Dusk took the shoe box from the package and placed it on the table in front of them. "But he persisted and said to try my best to get my hands on just one of those beautiful roses. Karl said to 'Give it to the raven eyed drummer with the tails.' He-he, It was so sweet of him. He told me to call him when the roses came in so he could deliver the package personally, but that was over a year ago." Barbra clucked as Dusk opened the box to reveal a pair of knee boots with white buckles. Dusk expression became that of a child on Christmas day, full of joy and wonder, as she took the boots out of the box. On that bombshell, she couldn't help but jump up and down like a gleeful school girl, completely out of character for her, and began to put them on. To Dusk's surprise, they fit perfectly as she slid her perfect little feet into the boots. Taking to her feet, she pranced around gleefully in her new boots.

"There perfect!" Dusk exclaimed as she sat on the counter next to the box. Barbra was struck in disbelief at the slight before her, Dusk was... Joyful... Happy and full of glee. Barbra then gave a sigh and reached into the box and pulled out a green envelope. "Dusk, honey, you forgot something." Barbra said as she handed the blissful Dusk the envelope. Dusk opened the envelope and inside of it was a handwritten letter.

"From your Klokateer, I hope to see you again some day. With love and affection, Karl Dael."

A tear of joy and sorrow fell from her eye and landed on the buckles of her new boots. "I can't wait for you to come back." She whispered as she picked up her old boots and walked out the door after telling Barbra thank you for giving this wonderful gift from the past.

* * *

Luna began her search in the only place she could, The library. Oakhaven high school may have been just another school in the eyes of New England. But it was known through out the county for having a large collection of books donated from a cross the country by a former student only known by the moniker of 'The Countess.' The library was based loosely off of old English libraries in design and style, but with out the beauty and more of an institutional feel rather the intellectual feel of a true English library. The large oak shelves housed titles that no modern day high school student of average intelligence could possibly identify, nor could the book keeper herself. As Luna passed by each section, she came across her favorite section of shelves know by her former classmates as "The Hex Corner" where the Hex girls would pick up books and novels ranging from the basics of Paganism to Celtic mythology, Witchcraft to Exorcisms, and even novels written by the towns once famous author, Ben Ravencroft.

Luna gave a nostalgic sigh as she walked past her favorite part of the library, "Maybe I'll come back before I leave." She said with a grin as she walked toward the main shelf near the help desk where the year books were kept in hopes of search through each one of them for at least one picture of Claudia or at least find some proof that she was real. Luna could not piece together the moments after they entered and left the manor, only brief, yet frighting and distorted, memoirs of strange events and actions… Yet she remembers, in detail, chasing the gypsy through the woods until the woman approached her. Her words were nothing but a blur, but she remembered the tone of her voice, sallow and motherly. "Was it all a dream?" She asked herself as she came to the book case where the leather bound yearbooks sat collecting dust. Luna scanned through the books in hopes of finding the year Claudia attended Oakhaven high, But to no avail. Only one yearbook was missing, 1975-1976.

"Where is it?" Luna hissed as she looked around on the shelves for the book. She rolled her eyes annoyed at how such a large book could be missing from the case, after all the bookkeeper here was ultra anal about where her books were kept, let alone a prized leather bound hard copy of a school year book!

"Ugh." She snorted as she turned around to search the rest of the library for the book. Luna combed the library for what seemed to be hours until she found herself in the same position she was in when she entered the library, Empty handed and hungry for answers. Coming out of another section of the library, Luna eyes were drawn to the very center of the Library where a lone podium sat under the last light of the sun shined through the octagon shaped skylight above it. Something was drawing her to the podium and soon she walked over to the podium and found a large leather bound year book. The book was left open on the forty third page, section M, Year 1976.

Luna scanned over the photos until she found a picture of a girl of her own age dressed in what seemed to be Neo-Victorian attire with a white frilly top with a red corset. Around her neck was a silver wiccan pentagram and at that moment, Luna recognized the woman in the picture. "Its... Its..." She shuddered.

"Claudia Angelica Marlin." A man voice interjected from the shadows.

Luna panicked and slammed the leather bound yearbook shut, "Who's there!?" She demanded as she searched the shadows around her.

"A friend." The man said.

"Two friends." The cheerful voice of a 17 year old girl said.

Luna looked to her right to see a tall, well built, man of thirty with brown hair and dark hazel eyes dressed in simple brown work cloths. His voice was deep and mirrored Karl's slightly, but not entirely. To her left was a young girl of seventeen with long blonde hair and uniquely purple eyes and wore a striped black-and-green tank top, a pink skirt and a black headband.

"Kimberly 'Luna' Moss, Correct?" The intimidating voice of the man asked Luna. She stuttered and before she could answer she felt the genital hand of the young girl on her shoulder. "Don't be afraid of Whitetail. He may look all big and bad, but he's nothing but a big softy once you get know him." The girl giggled in such away that unnerved even the paranormal savvy Luna. Luna turned to the man with a unnerved, but questionable look on her face.

"Are you whitetail?" Luna asked hesitantly as stiffen her stance and clenched her fists tightly. The man nodded, "Indeed, but I suggest you should take a more passive stance." Whitetail suggested as the iconic, spine chilling, sound of the hammer of a pistol locking into place clicked behind her. "Or else we'll have to you pacify you and we don't want that to happen, do we?" The blonde girls said in sadistic glee as she pressed the barrel of the pistol against Luna's back.

"Widow," Whitetail called to the gun totting blonde. "What have I told you about taking my Colt? We're not here for blood." He scolded the Blonde. Widow sighed and handed the pistol to Whitetail.

Luna gave a scowl to the blonde, "Bitch." She remarked before looking over at whitetail. "You broke into my house so you could have a brat hold me up? What the hell is your deal dude?!" Luna demanded as she threw Widow's hand off of her shoulder. Widow turned Luna around with a wicked scowl on her face, "No, I broke into your house and placed his note in your house so we could have a meeting Luna! God, your just as worse as Thorn when shes pissed. Never got a handle of your anger since you left the institution, did cha?" She snapped.

Luna became in raged at the insolence of the younger girl and threw her hand on Widow's neck, gripping it tightly. "You little..." Then it hit her. "How did you know about?... Who the fuck are you two?! How the fuck do you know me?!" Luna screamed into the face of Widow as sadistic grin coated the blonds face.

"We know all, but Madam Marlin and the Order know more about you and your sisters than you'll ever believe." Whitetail said to Luna as Widow wiggled out of her grip and taking her place by Whitetail's side. "You don't remember me or my sister, Do you Kim?" Widow asked her. Luna shook her head, "I put that place behind me a long time ago... I don't remember a damn thing."

"The Twins? Do you remember now? The ones who killed their mother? My sister is dead, but I lived to fight another day with the Order." Widow said as she rapped herself around the arm of Whitetail. "You... You survived that hellhole?" Luna said in complete shock that their was another person from the asylum standing in front of her.

"The Asylum was shut down only weeks after your 'release' and the death of one of my former colleagues. Luckily, The remaining handful were set off to proper care. But we will get back to that later." Whitetail explained as he pulled out a black PDA. "Your after Madam Marlin, aren't you?" He asked Luna as Widow let go of his arm and took the PDA into her hands.

"She... She knows something... Heavy about me... Really heavy." Luna said in a faint whisper as a fierce migraine swept across her mind as bits and pieces of faint memory, or nightmare, began to play like an old movie. The pain caused her to faint in front of Whitetail and Widow, "She knows..." Luna whispered as all around her went black.

* * *

Through her eyes Luna could see a long, almost endless, hall way shrouded in darkness with only a line dim buzzing light of Florissant barely breaking the shadows around it. She could see heavy steel doors numbered with white spray paint with bolted viewing ports, but one was different from the rows of steel doors. The door was cracked and a faint amber candle light burned through darkness on the outside.  
Luna approached the door and noticed that the door itself had no locks on it, nor was their a lock on the door itself.

"Cell number seven." She read in a whisper as the door slowly creaked to life to let her in.

Inside was a simple bed inside of a concert room with a small wooden table and a small bookshelf full of books. On the table was an old candle holder with a burning white wax candle melted down to the holder and a large book rapped in string and bound in leather. As she stepped over the threshold, Luna was thrown back against another door by a burly man dressed in white scrubs wearing a mas to k over his mouth. Frantically she struggled against the might of the burly gentleman as he pinned her against the wall with her hands behind her back like a prisoner with her face pressed against the cold concert wall.

Suddenly the presser was gone as the sounds of blood curdling screams echoed through the soulless hallways of this hellhole…

Luna turned to see the door to Cell number seven was shut and the candle light nonexistent with a small stream of blood leaking from the bottom of the door, pooling near her feet. Luna dashed down the hallway and until all became black around her…

She knew this place… This hellhole… She thought it was all in the past, but the past will never die and fad into obscurity. This wasn't a simple nightmare… It was a memory of a living nightmare that ravaged the souls of three girls that would one day come together to form a band that would rock the world, But this or the fragmented strings of hazy images were not the memories of Luna herself or her sisters.

These memories were of the Asylum, the Providence Behavioral Health Hospital. The place where the nightmares began.

* * *

Luna awoke to the light of the moon beaming through the skylight above. She picked herself off the floor with her hand placed firmly on her head, "Ahugh… What happen to me?" She grunted. "Where… Where are those two?" Luna looked around the shadows of the library for the figures of Whitetail and Widow, but to no avail. "The year book!" She gasped as she turned to the podium, but the yearbook itself was gone as well. The only thing on the podium was a black PDA and a file marked Subject seven. Luna gazed at the over at the files with eyes widen and proceeded to open the file. Inside was a basic physical of Subject seven along with the picture of a black hair woman with teal eyes and snow white skin.

"Claudia Marlin, Subject seven, Providence Behavioral Health Hospital..." Luna read aloud as she could feel her stomach drop to the floor. "No... Not there... Please not there..." She prayed to herself as she scanned through the file to find that the rest of it was blacked out. The PDA vibrated and Luna looked over at it, "There is more than just this basic file, the original is in the office of the lead doctor. There is where this you will receive your answers, but not all of them. In the old barn there is transportation and a GPS to take you to the Asylum. Happy hunting rabbit. Love, Widow." Luna read aloud, "PS. Go it alone like a good rabbit or the wolves will track you down easier."

"Bitch..." Luna whispered under her breath as she put the PDA in her pocket and began to walk out of the library as her mind began to race at the thought that she had to abandon her sisters...

* * *

Whitetail and Widow watched as Luna exited the large library with the PDA in her hand. He knew as well as Luna that the coordinates lead to very place that Her, Dusk, and Thorn met all those years ago. Madam Marlin told him all about it, Hell he was the one who ordered the investigation into that hell hole in the first place. Now she was going back to where it all started.

His phone began to vibrate in his pocket.

"This is Whitetail, Go ahead Raven." Whitetail said.

"This is Raven, Report Whitetail." A female voice demanded.

"The Rabbit is going down the rabbit hole. I repeat Rabbit is going down the rabbit hole." Whitetail repeated. The woman sighed.

"Good... Good work Beau. You have done well, your work here is done. Return to headquarters for debriefing. Their are some events that are need to be attended to in the west in a city known as Crystal cove." She told him.

Beau was shocked to here her say his name instead of his code name, but soon interjected.

"But Madam, The west coast belongs to Destroido Corp. Gigagen and Destroido have a mutual agreement between one other in the States about the Paranormal in..."

"Doctor Magnason does not care what Destroido wants or what they own. What he does care about is that their is something of great evil on that side of this continent and Gigagen wants to find out what it is." The woman said harshly. "The Brimstone society is not obligated to follow the parameters of agreement or any form of international treaty or even that of Reality itself. We are obligated to keep the doors closed and the keep the world safe from them. The Doctor may be a little lacked since the Badlands incident, but his orders are as followed. "They shall never open their hellish gate once again."" She explained to Beau.

"I'm assured of your commitment to the Society after the Moonscar Island affair, after all It was you that recovered the camera that proved the existence of the werecats and of the southern gate's hand in the paranormal incidences across the swamps. Now get out of their and make hast to the west coast with widow, I'll go to the asylum."

"Yes Ma'am. But madam, what about Monolith?" He asked her.

"They are Harlan Ellison problem as well as Karl and Ben. Raven out"

* * *

_**Authors note- Widow is Alice May from SDMI and so is Harlan Ellison. Beau is from Scooby Doo on Zombie Island.**_


	7. Chapter 6: It's up to her

_**Another Luna chapter as promised :) OK! Before this chapter begins, I want to say that the 'Dusk being left out in the cold thing' was a mess up on my end as the story has taken a totally different direction in a more vastly Dresner way (Complicated, very complicated XD). I'm sorry for the mess up guys, I really am. Shout out to HiddenWitch890 :) Make sure to read her work its worth it, trust me! Also I had someone ask about the Guitar song from Dusk, look up Stalker: Peaceful ending (Another version) by trabant14. Great instrumental!  
**_

_**With Love ~Dresner**_

* * *

Chapter 6- "It's not up to you, It's up to Her."

Luna unlocked the door and walked into the house with a sigh as she looked at the picture of both young and old Claudia on the PDA. 'How am I going to go through with this?' She asked herself as she made her way to the stairs as her heels clicked and clacked against the wooden floors. The house was dark and looked empty to her. Which wasn't strange to Luna as she and her sisters were usual out and a bout and Mr. Mcknight was usually at work until eleven or twelve at night doing inventory for the local pharmacy after closing. Usually Thorn and Dusk would be practicing or at least watching a horror movie to pass the time, but not even the sound of their instruments or their bickering could be heard.

"Dusk? Thorn? Dad?" She called from the bottom of the stairs, but their was no response.

Luna was alone...

She gave a sigh and threw her phone and keys on small inn table and walked up the stairs to the girls room and sat on the bed to take her boots off from this seemingly endless day. Luna threw herself on to her bed combed her hair with her hands as her mind began to race once again with unexplained regret and shame, mixed together with cold determination to answer the unsolved questions that have plagued her mind for three months, to create a tonic of confusion and depression. Luna took to her feet and looked at herself in the mirror.

"Why… Why is this happening to me? Abandon by mother and father, hunted by psychopaths, and now this?" She said to herself as starred deeply into her brown eyes in the mirror. Luna became angry and broke the mirror with one swift punch. "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME?!" She screamed into the mirror as glass shattered before as her frustration reached its boiling point.

"You need to chill out and maybe you'll figure it out." A cheery, yet arrogant voice of a younger girl said. Luna turned in a fit of rage with fists flying toward the voice, but a blonde purple eyed girl caught her hand and twisted it behind her back. "YOU!" Luna hissed as Widow threw her on her bed. "I'm hurt Luna, I would think you would be a little bit more… Civil... About me coming to check up on you." Widow said sarcastically as she looked over at the broken mirror with a shit eating grin on her face. Luna gave scowl that would have made Dusk proud, Hell Dusk would been proud to see her show a little bite period.

"What do you want bitch? How did you get in here?!" Luna barked as turned on her back to face Widow from the bed.

"Oooh and I thought you were the nice one, or was that Thorn?" Widow asked sarcastically as looked over the girls room with a smirk. Luna was about to give an insult, but Widow put up her hand and interjected. "I'm not here to argue, I'm just here to talk." Widow said as the grin melted for a more serious expression as Luna gave another hateful scowl until Widow sat down on the bed next to her. "I can sense that your feeling your giving us second thoughts on our little handout..." She explained as she took up the PDA. "I'm not going to abandon my sisters to hunt for some psychopathic witch! I've had it!" Luna screamed at the blonde who gave a long laugh before turning toward her. "It's not up to you, It's up to her and you know to much..." Widow said as she pulled a dagger from her dress boots. Luna panicked and kicked her off of the bed and Widow fell to the floor, Luna rushed out of her room and down the stairs to grab her phone from the Inn table to call the police.

Charging down the stairs, Luna reached the inn table and began to dial 911 on her phone frantically as the enraged widow leaped from the top of the stairs to the floor, landing on her feet like a lion and walked toward her slowly with a villainous grin.

"They won't help you..." Widow whispered to Luna.

"But this will..." The heavy voice of Whitetail said from the shadows of the living room. Luna turned quickly to face white tail and was met by the gleaming blue steel of a custom long barreled pistol pointed at her from the darkness. Luna only heard a quiet thump before feeling the sharp pain of a needle burrowing into her skin. She looked down to her side and saw a small dart sticking out of her skin and everything became dark once more...

Widow leaned over and pulled the tranquilizer dart from Luna's side, "It's nothing personal, Luna. It's my job..." Widow said as she handed the dart to whitetail. She gazed over the sleeping figure of Luna with remorseful eyes, but quickly turn away from her while Whitetail gave a disenchanted look to her. "Come on, lets get her in the truck and get moving." Whitetail said as he threw Luna over his shoulder and the two began to walk out the door. Widow tacked a note on the door and gave smirk as she read over it.

"Widow! Come on! We're burning moonlight!" Whitetail barked as he walked out of the door to a large black sedan waiting outside on the curb.

"I'm coming! Just hold on damn it!" Widow replied annoyingly as she posted the note on the door and rushed into the Coupe de Ville as it sped off into the night.

* * *

Meanwhile at the local pharmacy...

Dusk was worried about Luna, She hadn't seen her all day and it troubled her a bit. "Thorn," She asked Thorn as stood by her father as he locked the doors to the pharmacy. "Have you seen Luna at all today?"

Thorn shook her head, "No I haven't, I've been busy all day with songs and junk. Why?" She replied as she fixed her bangs. Thorn changed her hair about a month ago to update her look a little. She cut it to her shoulders and cleaned it up to a more modern look, but she still retained the red highlights to keep it original. Dusk shrugged, "I don't know! I'm just a little worried about her, that all." Thorn looked at her sister questionably and soon noticed her new boots.

"Where did you get those boots?" She asked Dusk. Dusk gave a sigh and the sad look on her face gave it away and Thorn gave a tiny smile to her sister before hugging her. "Karl gave them to you? Didn't he?" Mr. Mcknight asked her with a grin. "Yeah, he did..." Dusk became rather quiet and a formed a little grin as the two girls and their father walked down the street with only the moonlight and the streetlamps lighting the way.

They reached their home and to their surprise only the light on in the empty house and Fritz was still in the backyard, usually the girls would let him come inside for the night. As they came to the door Mr. Mcknight spotted a note tacked on the door from his kitchen note pad. His face became pale and shock took over his body... He turned to the girls handed them the note before going to the pouch swing to calm himself down. Thorn and Dusk were confused at what was unfolding and sat down on each side of him. Both read the note together and soon the same expression of shock over came them...

_"Dear Willard, _

_It's been to long since we last seen each other Willard, Ten?, Eleven?, or is it twelve years? Soon we will see each other again, I'm sure of it. I'm sure that you will have a lot to explain to our daughter as well, but, let us save it until we meet again. My agents have Luna and have taken her to where all of this trouble began, For us and for them... _

_It's time to come back from the sanctuary... Back into the darkness..._

_Sincerely, Madam Claudia Angelica Marlin._

_PS. I can not wait for my reunion with my kin... Don't keep me waiting Willard."_

On the bottom of the page was a kiss made with red lipstick with a heart drawn around it. The two girls froze in fear and looked at each other with the same fear and dread filled expressions.

"Does she mean that we have to..." Dusk asked in fear.

Thorn's expression became serious and she nodded, "Yes, We have to return to where it all started..." She said coldly.

"The asylum..."


End file.
